Category: music

Visit Macon celebrates Macon Music Trail App Launch

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The Macon Music Trail App is a music-lover’s self-guided tour to Macon’s vast music history.

MACON, Ga. — The Historic Macon Foundation and Visit Macon are giving visitors and Maconites alike a way to take Macon’s Music history into their hands. 

The Macon Music Trail App is a music lover’s self-guided tour to Macon’s vast music history. Visit Macon and other organizations are inviting people to come out to Grant’s Lounge on Wednesday to celebrate the app’s official launch. 

“The sites are actually a part of the Historic Macon Registry which was developed in 2016,” Director of Marketing at Visit Macon Marisa Rodgers said. 

It features both big and small historic stops all at your fingertips. 

Rodgers says the goal of this app is to make learning about music history more accessible to everyone.

“So many people want to come here and experience the music history but they don’t have an easy way to find it right now so we wanted to put it into their hands easier,” she said. 

There are many ways to do the trail in the app. Music lovers can walk or drive through it. 

Rodgers says downtown is home to so many great sites.

“That influenced what we know of music today. Our visitors are interested in that story and we wanted to be able to tell all of those stories plus a lot that even some local may not know about,” Rodgers said.

The app is available for download on the app store and google play store, just search Tour Macon or Macon Music Trail. 

The event will actually kick off at 2 p.m. at the first stop on the trail, located at the Downtown Visitor Information Center. Free tours from the visitors service team will be available to a limited number of stops or take the self-guided tour anytime yourself

The launch party is at 6 p.m. at Grant’s Lounge in downtown Macon. At 7:30 p.m., The Macon Music Revue features Charles Davis and The Velvet Sound as they play covers of Macon legends’ biggest hits. 

Watch Julian Marley’s “Don’t ruin my world” music video – Aipate

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Reggae singer, songwriter and musician Julian Marley delivered a really powerful message on his song “Don’t ruin my world”. The music video, which is now out, doubles down on the message.

“Don’t Ruin My World” is a rallying cry for a livable world for future generations. It was initiated by forests conservation company Everland.

Julian says, “I created this song for Everland to help get the word out about the urgent need to protect nature and life on Earth. It’s an anthem to amplify the voices of young people who are anxious about the climate crisis and are demanding that those in charge do what is right to safeguard their future before it’s too late.” 

Connect with Julian Marley on Instagram.



NYC-based music producer Eon Crown drops explosively dynamic visuals for Get it – Independent Music – New Music

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Slashing car tires and provoking sensitive alarms to go off unexpectedly, Eon Crown releases the kind of song which can flip moods over like a tasty burger on his hot new single to slide with called Get it.

Eon Crown is a New York, USA-based music producer/artist who fuses hip-hop into his wild beats which are made with so much sizzle and a rapid-fire verve to get enthusiastic about.

Featuring rather exceptionally crisp and imaginative dance moves to shake up the sleepy world, Eon Crown pulsates like a flashy thunderstorm and shall blow away all the haters. Goodness me this is a superior track. There is nothing too hardcore here either. This is a proper single made with supreme skill and easy-to-see desire. Just the way we like it. Oh yes, the visuals might stimulate creaky bones to get up on the dance floor again. Life is too short to sit down all the time right?

Get it from the excellent NYC hip-hop music producer/artist Eon Crown is a real-life heart beater to soothe all worries away like eating ice cream on a hot day. It’s tasty and all worries seem to go away.

Soaring high like Superman and brushing all the cobwebs away like a bonafide boss, there is vibrant electricity here which might shock many back into place like a chiropractor on a mission to crack the planet back into place.

See this epic video on YouTube. View more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen



Boldy James Teams With RichGains For ‘Indiana Jones’ Album

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First off, we’ve gotta send love and light to Boldy James and his family as the Detroit rapper is currently recovering from a serious car crash he got into on January 9th.

Prior to the unfortunate incident, Boldy had been on a long-running streak of releases over the pst several months: Be That As It May, Mr. Ten08, Bo Jackson, Super Tecmo Bo, Killing Nothing, and Fair Exchange No Robbery. He keeps that streak alive with producer Richgains, Indiana Jones.

A 17-song effort, Boldy opens up the guest house this time around and lets a myriad of features in: Sir Michael Rocks, Xassie Jo Craig, Detroit King Tape, Ann One, Gue Wop, Sammy Haig, Jai Imani, and Jonathan Chapman. This project actually followed another with Real Bad Man, the vinyl-only ADU, as well as a forthcoming collaboration with the late J Dilla(!).

Stream Indiana Jones below.

Boldy James Teams With RichGains For ‘Indiana Jones’ Album was last modified: January 20th, 2023 by Meka



Music to our ears: Rescued ‘singing apes’ now in care of Sabah’s new gibbon rehab centre

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KOTA KINABALU: Five rescued gibbons will be sent to recover under Sabah’s first gibbon rehabilitation project set up recently in Kota Belud district on the west coast.

These North Bornean gibbons (Hylobates funereus), a species of small primate, were mostly kept as pets and were now in the care of the Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS).

GCS president Mariani Ramli (pic) said in the initial stage, the Borneo Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (Borneo GReP) will try to rehabilitate these gibbons at the state’s first gibbon rehabilitation centre at Kg Kiau Nulu.

ALSO READ: Efforts to shine a light on Sabah’s gibbons through Kota Belud project

“Over the next few weeks, the Borneo GReP team will gather data on each animal to assess their psychological state and needs, in order to create a (customised) rehabilitation plan,” she said in a statement recently.

“Rehabilitation takes many years depending on each animal’s trauma and ability to relearn natural behaviours. We hope all five will be able to be released (into the wild) one day,” she added.

Mariani said the rescued gibbons, which arrived at the centre on Jan 17, were mostly orphaned and taken in by villagers as pets.

ALSO READ: ‘Gibbon Whisperer’ on a mission

She said gibbons, the only small apes, share some 96% of human DNA and help disperse seeds in the jungle, helping to keep the ecosystem in Sabah’s forests balanced.

She said Borneo GReP aimed to conserve these primates, also known as singing apes as they sing to attract mates and mark territory, and boost interest in the species among researchers and visitors.

Mariani said Borneo GReP focuses on rehabilitating two gibbon species: the North Bornean gibbon and Abott’s gray gibbon (Hylobates abbotti).

Both species are categorised as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The IUCN is an international organisation working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

ALSO READ: Second rehab centre for gibbons being built

During the centre’s launch ceremony on Sunday (Jan 22), Kadamaian assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick expressed his appreciation to the non-governmental organisations and wildlife authorities involved in making it a reality.

He said the centre would serve as a new tourist attraction for locals and overseas visitors to Kg Kiau and at the same time function as a rehabilitation centre for the endangered species, which is called Kalawot in the native Dusun language.

He said such efforts tied in with the government’s initiative for sustainable tourism, environmental conservation and economic development.

Benedick said RM50,000 had been allocated to support the centre at this early stage.

Of that amount, half is earmarked for maintenance and the rest to upgrade facilities.

It is learnt that NGO Nepada Wildlife Jerman had also allocated some RM100,000 to the centre while the state put in RM40,000 to start it up.



Introducing Brunette, the Armenian singer/songwriter and newcomer – Aipate

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Armenian R&B/pop singer-songwriter Brunette recently popped in my radar. The 21-year-old only made her debut early last year but has already captured the attention of tastemakers.

Although she sings both in Armenian and English, Brunette says that “Armenian language sometimes has a more depth to the meaning of each word, so it is hard not to use it to express emotion and deeper meaning”

The young artist is gifted with a smooth, soulful voice which suits her preferred topics: love, heartbreak and growth.

On the track “Bac Kapuyt Achqerd”, which is a fan favourite, Brunette sings about being totally in love with someone.

Listen to all her songs and keep up with Brunette on Instagram.



nasir mf. turned up the heat for electro heads in his hyper-pop exposition of obsession ‘romantic fury’ – Independent Music – New Music

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nasir mf. won us over with his emo hyperpop debut in 2022; for 2023, the queer icon in the making reached stratospheric heights with his sophomore single, romantic fury. It is impossible not to feel the heat while revelling in the affirmation that there is nothing sane or rational about passion.

The independent Brooklyn, NY-based artist created a world of carnal pleasure through the cascade of luminous synth lines and beats built to body rock to – crafted by Flame Yuppie. For any fans of PC-adjacent music in the same vein as Charli XCX, Namasenda, Caroline Polachek and SOPHIE, the ECHOVALLEY remix may be more your hyper-sonic 8-bit cup of tea.

“This track is a hyper pop banger with rap verses for the electro-loving hopeless romantics. I made this track about experiencing limerence – that obsessive, unhealthy feeling that we often get for someone. I wanted to appeal to all the people who have someone who fucks with their mental state. It is super unhealthy, but hey, it happens… it is honest.”

Stream romantic fury and the ECHOVALLEY remix on Spotify now.

Connect with nasir mf. on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

Review by Amelia Vandergast



Drake Reveals New OVO Sound Signee Naomi Sharon, Shares “Another Life” Single

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Introducing the first female signee to OVO Sound: Naomi Sharon.

In an Instagram post, Drake formally announced the signing. “I been waiting for this day for too long now where the world finally gets to digest the insane amount of work you have put in since we met,” Drake said. “My dear friend just dropped her single ‘Another Life’ on OVO SOUND.”

Sharon has been releasing music over the past few years, with highlights including “Daughter of the Sun” and “Hills.” It was also rumored that she was to contribute to Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album as well, but nothing really materialized.

Hear “Another Life” below.

Drake Reveals New OVO Sound Signee Naomi Sharon, Shares “Another Life” Single was last modified: January 20th, 2023 by Meka



St. Simons Sacred Music Festival returns | Life

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In March 2020, a church choir in Washington state hit the national news for spreading COVID-19 to more than 50 people, resulting in two deaths. That headline put a halt to choir practices across the country and temporarily derailed the St. Simons Sacred Music Festival after its inaugural recital.

“It hit the national news really quick: ‘Whatever you do, don’t sing,’” said Nathaniel Roper, Glynn Academy’s director of choral and orchestral activities and one of the founders of the sacred music festival.

Because of the event, he was unable actually have anyone sing in his program at Glynn Academy for a year and a half, instead having to teach students everything but the actual practice. The festival, which is not affiliated with the school system, got put on ice for two years.

“This will be our third event. It started in 2018 and COVID knocked it out after that,” Roper said.

2022 marked the return of singing in his class — although he’s still rebuilding the program after many left the class in the interregnum — and the St. Simons Island Sacred Music Festival, at which the choir performed the world premiere of a new piece of sacred music — “To Sing Once More,” by Craig Courtney.

The Ropers — Nathaniel and his wife Amanda, who he credits for getting the festival off the ground — believe sacred music is a very powerful means of worshipping God, but it’s also particularly adept when it comes to engendering feelings of peace and community. That’s why they use donations from each event to commission a new piece of sacred music for the next festival. Each festival is also the world premiere of a brand-new piece of sacred music.

In 2018, that was “Awake, My Soul, Awake” by Elaine Hagenberg. This year’s piece is titled “Come, Walk With Me” by Z. Randall Stroope, Roper said.

“It’s gorgeous,” he says. “Dr. Stroope has been one of the world’s foremost composers for a long time. I’m familiar with a lot of his work, and it’s one of the best things I’ve heard in a long time. I’m really excited about this piece, especially coming out of this COVID cloud choirs have been coming out of.”

Amanda Roper adds that it’s not by accident that she and Nathaniel are familiar with Stroope. They both studied at the same time under Stroope at the University of Nebraska. Amanda performed in his concerts, and Nathaniel worked much more closely with him in an assistant role, but both studied his body of work extensively.

“Nathaniel’s entire degree was with Dr. Stroope specifically,” Amanda said. “… To me, it is exceptional we’re able to work with Dr. Stroope in this capacity because of our lifelong love of his music and the experience we had studying from him and helping him premiere several pieces while we were studying under his baton.”

If there’s one thing she hopes people take away from the event, it’s the unifying power of music — specifically choral music. It allows those who may not have proficiency in musical instruments to realize that they can make beautiful music regardless.

“The fact an accountant or a lawyer or a homemaker can all come together and be equally successful in this endeavor, it’s all-encompassing of folks in the community,” Amanda said. “I like to leave people with a sentiment that beauty and beautiful music can happen anywhere.”

One doesn’t have to participate, Amanda added. There are a variety of ways to contribute for more information, visit kappellmeisterproductions.com. Premiere performances are also available on the website after each festival, she said.

Every year, the festival further strengthens the community of musicians and church choirs in the Golden Isles, she added, either forging new connections or reinforcing established ones. As long as the community will continue to support the festival, it will continue in perpetuity, Nathaniel said. He and Amanda are committed to making it so.

Everyone involved is a volunteer, meaning the only costs associated with the concert come from equipment and venue expenses.

“It’s a festival choir. It’s an all-state chorus type thing but there’s not auditions for it,” he said. “It ends up being mostly church choir people. Everybody wears the garb from their church, but it’s not limited to that. Anyone from the community can be involved.”

This year’s concert will take place on Feb. 3 and 4 at St. Simons United Methodist Church. There’s no admission fee, but the church does ask for donations to cover the cost of the event and to commission the next year’s piece. For registration and event information, go to kappellmeisterproductions.com



Aáyanna is back with second single, “Can You Take It” – Aipate

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Aáyanna has released her second single, “Can You Take It”. The singer debuted towards the end of last year.

Her first song “Risky” was a sterling exhibition of her great voice and confident songwriting. With “Can You Take It”, she serves up a sexy R&B track embellished with beguiling guitar melodies and beautiful vocal harmonies.

Aáyanna says about the song, “My inspiration for ‘Can You Take It’ came from the guitar itself. I loved how sensual and raw it sounded, so it urged me to write a song that felt seductive and like only the listener and I exist when it’s being played. The lyrics are bold and straightforward but metaphorically, I’m also asking if you can take me at my best and worst. Can you take how big and complex my personality is and what obligations come with me. At its core, ‘Can You Take It’ is about wanting to feel desired even after showing someone those parts of yourself.”

The artist’s performance in the music video is equally stellar.

Watch the visual and follow Aáyanna on Instagram.